Hilton Head Island may just be my favorite place in the United States. I grew up going to this treasured place with my family almost every year. It is hard to believe that it had been 16 years since I had last been there. It didn’t take too long for the nostalgia to kick back in and all those wonderful memories came flooding back.
Sea Pines
I may be a little biased, but the Sea Pines resort is my absolute favorite on the island. You will need to purchase a guest pass to enter, but it was only $9. Start your day off at the South Beach Marina. The South Beach Marina is a New-England style marina where you can find the famous Salty Dog Café. You can have breakfast (or lunch or dinner) at the restaurant. There are a few other restaurants on the marina along with the t-shirt shop. I was feeling extra by purchasing a t-shirt and sweatshirt. If it’s a hot day, you could also grab ice cream as well.
After exploring the South Beach Marina, head over to Harbour Town. At Harbour Town, you can find the iconic red and white lighthouse. You can climb the lighthouse for under $5 if you so choose! Also, there is the iconic Liberty Oak where many summer nights you can find Gregg Russell, a true Hilton Head icon, performing underneath.
There are tons of shops for you to explore including a Christmas shop all year round! Not to mention, there are many restaurants when you want to grab something to eat. We grabbed lunch at the Harbourside Burgers & Brews. That chicken sandwich was sooo good and that drink was 💯.
Before you leave Sea Pines, you should check out Turtle Lane. I have fond recollections of feeding the turtles as a child. These days they encourage you to not feed the animals, but you can find turtles and alligators looming throughout.
Mini Golf
All of my childhood Hilton Head memories include mini golf. There are multiple courses on the island. We went to Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf. They have two courses that have different levels of difficulty. I managed to get two hole-in-ones!
Hudson’s Seafood on the Docks
Hudson’s is a Hilton Head institution. They do not take reservations and it is incredibly popular. We arrived around 5pm and had to wait about an hour. I had the lowcountry lemonade to drink, but substituted vodka for whiskey. We started with the calamari which was on special that night. It was flavorful. I had the crab-stuffed shrimp for my entrée. It was so good that I dove right in and forgot to get a picture. I tried both the fried and broiled. I would highly recommend the broiled if I were to have it again!
Hilton Head was by far the highlight of the trip for me. I plan to go again in the spring and want to go yearly for the rest of my life (if I can!).
Xoxo
Janelle
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